Refractory element for gas fires and like space heating means



C. J. MOORE Er REFRACTORY ELEMENT FOR G FIRES AND LIKE SPACE HEATING MEANS Filed Jan. 4, 1952 Jan. 17, 1956 FIG.2.

AAAAAAAI I N VEN TORS United States Patent REFRACTORY ELEMENT F OR GAS FIRES AND LIKE SPACE HEATING MEANS Charles James Moore and Stanley Horace Smith, Deepfields, near Bilston, England, assignors to Cannon Iron Foundries Limited, Deeptields, near Bilston, England, a British company Application January 4, 1952, Serial No. 264,958

4 Claims. (Cl. 126-92) This invention relates to gas fires and like space heating apparatus and more particularly to block type refractory radiants and combustion chambers associated therewith, and their mounting in a gas fire or heater.

Heretofore, combustion chambers when provided in gas fired space heating apparatus, have been cemented on to a fire brick or other refractory panel or slab which usually backs the radiants of the fire. Such combustion chambers when fitted present difficulties in maintenance or repair and often necessitate skilled assistance in replacement.

An object of the present invention is to provide a refractory body embodying a refractory radiant and a refractory combustion chamber, which can be readily replaced if damaged and which can be mounted in correct position with respect to the burner of a gas fire or heater by unskilled labour.

A further object is to provide a combustion chamber combined with a radiant which is adapted to be incorporated with one or a number of similar chambers and their radiant or radiants in a gas fire or heater and to permit flame communication between adjacent combustion chambers.

Examples of the manner in which the present invention can be carried into eifect are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an integral radiant and combustion chamber mounted on a burner.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section on the line 22 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side view of the bottom of the combustion chamber of the radiant.

In Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, there is shown a refractory tubular body or radiant provided, at its lower end, with an integral combustion chamber 11 to form a refractory unit. The front of the radiant 10 is fretted to provide a series of horizontal bars 12, the rear surfaces of which are provided with scrubber thorns or projections 13. A solid back wall 14 of the radiant 10 is also provided with scrubber thorns 13 which project forwardly towards the fret, the thorns 13 being arranged to enter the path of the ascending flames and products of combustion when the combined radiant 10 and combustion chamber 11 is fitted in a gas fire.

At or near the top of the radiant 10 there is an opening 15 in the back Wall 14 which, in practice, will be above the level of the top of the usual firebrick or other refractory back panel 16 against which, or in front of which the radiant 10 will be placed when fitted in a gas fire. The opening 15 communicates. with the interior of the radiant 10 and provides an outlet for the rising hot gaseous products of combustion.

The combustion chamber 11 extends across the full width of the bottom of the radiant 10 and comprises thick front and rear walls 17 and 18 formed as extensions of the front and rear walls respectively of the radiant 10, a floor 19 closing the base, and side walls 20. The interior of the combustion chamber 11 communicates directly with the interior of the radiant 10.

2,731,011] Patented Jan. 17, 1956 The combined radiant and combustion chamber unit is preferably adapted to be mounted directly on a gas supply pipe or burner tube 21. For this purpose there are provided recesses 22 formed at the corners of the bottom of the combustion chamber 11 to enable the combustion chamber 11 and the superposed heat-radiating or jets.

The gas supply to the combined radiant and combustion chamber unit from the supply pipe 21 can be made by means of one or a number of burner jets 24 secured to and projecting upwards from the supply pipe 21. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, two jets 24 may be employed for each radiant unit, each jet being secured at its base to a platform 25 integral with the supply pipe. The jet tips 26 may conveniently be made of refractory material and are then secured in metal sleeves which are screwed into the platform 25, each sleeve having means such as the hexagonal portions 27 shown, which can be engaged by a suitable tool to permit fitting and adjustment of the jets 24.

The jets 24 are arranged to project through apertures 28 provided in the floor 19 of the combustion chamber 11 of the unit, the inner surface of the floor 19 being so shaped that it presents a sloping surface on each side of each aperture 28.

Usually a number of units, say three, each comprising a heat radiating portion and a combustion chamber are employed in a single fire and the side walls 20 of the combustion chambers 11 of each unit are apertured at 29 to provide a through passage between the adjacent units. The apertures 29 can be arched at their upper ends and will permit flame communication between adjacent chambers 11 for the simultaneous ignition of the gases issuing at all the burners of the fire. The apertures 29 in the outer walls of the group of radiants may be closed by enclosing side walls on the backing panel 16 or end units with solid outer walls may be provided. If a fire with only one unitary radiant is required, it may be preferred to provide the combustion chamber 11 with solid side walls 20.

Conveniently, the combustion chambers of the invention are adapted to be used with flat flame or non-aerated burners which will be supplied with towns or coal gas. With such burners it is necessary to employ a combustion chamber to which air is admitted and, for this purpose, the aperture or apertures in the base of the chambers and surrounding the jets will be somewhat larger than the latter.

Alternatively, semi-aerated or fully aerated burners may be employed in which case the admission or otherwise of air for combustion to the combustion chamber can be controlled by suitably shaping the base of the combustion chamber or by other suitable means.

Although towns or coal gas is usually the most readily available gaseous fuel for gas fires, it will be understood that a gas stored in liquid form, natural gas or, in particular butane may be employed.

In practice, it will be preferred to mould the radiant and combustion chamber from a suitable refractory material. Each part can be initially formed of two or more pieces which are subsequently joined to form an gas fire refractories which can be readily replaced when damaged and which can be fitted to a tire by an unskilled person.

We claim:

l. A refractory element for a gas heater comprising, in combination, upstanding walls forming an elongated hollow block, smooth internal surfaces presented by the lower portion of said walls and defining an unobstructed combustion chamber in the base of the block, a bottom wall integral with said upstanding walls and providing a floor to the chamber, said bottom wall having at teas: one inlet opening arranged therein for the admission of fuel and air to the chamber, smooth inclined surfaces presented internally by said bottom wall and sloping up from said opening to meet the smooth internal surfaces of said upstanding walls, a. part of one of said upstandinr walls extending above the combustion chamber being penetrated by a series of elongated apertures arranged one above the other and extending each transversely across the block, said apertures communicating with the interior of the hollow block, and a series of conical heatradiating points projecting into the interior of the block from the internal surfaces of an oppositely disposed pair of said upstanding walls where the latter extend above the combustion chamber.

2. A refractory element as specified in claim 1 in which an arched flash opening communicating with the combustion chamber is arranged in a lower part of at least one wall of an oppositely disposed pair of said upstanding walls.

3. A refractory element for a gas heater comprising, in combination, upstanding front, side and back walls forming an elongated hollow block of oblong rectangular shape in transverse cross-section, the front and back walls forming the wider sides of the rectangle and sloping towards each other from the base of the block, a flat external surface presented by said back wall, smooth internal surfaces presented by a lower part of each of said walls and defining an unobstructed combustion chamber in the base of said block, a series of spaced bars making up said front wall above the combustion chamber and each bar extending transversely across the front of the block, a bottom wall integral with the lower parts of said upstanding walls and providing a floor to the combustion chamber, said bottom wall having at least one inlet opening therein for the admission of fuel and air to the chamber, smooth inclined surfaces presented internally by said bottom wall and sloping upwards from said inlet openings to meet said smooth internal surfaces of said upstanding Walls, a top wall integral with the upstandingwalls and closing the upper end of the k v an out t open n for the p u 0t ombu t on arrange in n upper part. .of the back wall, a series .of conical heattradiating points projecting into the interior of the block from the internal surfaces of said barred front wall and said back wall where said front and back walls extend above the combustion chamber, and an arched flashed opening communicating with said combustion chamber arranged in at least one of said side walls where it defines the combustion chamber.

4. A refractory element as specified in claim 3 in which the external corners of the base of the element are recessed to provide seatings for the elements on a subjacent burner.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 16,122 Risinger July 21, 19.25 1,486,197 Schmidt u Mar. 11,. 1,924 1,539,477 Grayson r May 2 1925 ,540,528 eunitt a June 2, 1925 1.564362 Loepfe "a --V Dec. 8, 1925 1,566,601 Hoffman sauna-"f"- Dec- 22, 1925 1,668,612 Slattery r .rnu a u May 8, 1,928 1,810,852 Possons June 16, 1931 2,310,406 Dudley Feb. 9, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 380,352 Great Britain a- Sept. 15, 1932 429,115 Great Britain May 24, 1935 548,499 Great Britain Oct. 13, 1942 704,865 Great Britain Mar. 3, 1954 704,866 Great Britain Mar. 3,1954 

1. A REFACTORY ELEMENT FOR GAS HEATER COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, UPSTANDING WALLS FORMING AN ELONGATED HOLLOW BLOCK, SMOOTH INTERNAL SURFACES PRESENTED BY THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID WALLS AND DEFINING AN UNOBSTRUCTED COMBUSTION CHAMBER IN THE USE OF THE BLOCK, A BOTTOM WALL INTEGRAL WITH SAID, UPSTANDING WALLS AND PROVIDING A FLOOR TO THE CHAMBER, SAID BOTTOM WALL HAVING AT LEAST ONE INLET OPENING ARRANGED THEREIN FOR THE ADMISSION OF FUEL AND AIR TO THE CHAMBER, SMOOTH INCLINED SURFACES PRESENTED INTERNALLY BY SAID BOTTOM WALL AND SLOPING UP FROM SAID OPENING TO MEET THE SMOOTH INTERNAL SURFACES OF SAID UPSTANDING WALLS, A PART OF ONE OF SAID UPSTANDING WALLS EXTENDING ABOVE THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER BEING PENETRATED BY A SERIES OF ELONGATED APERTURES ARRANGED ONE ABOVE THE OTHER AND EXTENDING EACH TRANSVERSELY ACROSS THE BLOCK, SAID APERTURES COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE HOLLOW BLOCK, AND A SERIES OF CONICAL HEATRADIATING POINTS PROJECTING INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE BLOCK FROM THE INTERNAL SURFACES OF AN OPPOSITELY DISPOSED PAIR OF SAID UPSTANDING WALLS WHERE THE LATTER EXTEND ABOVE THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER. 